Huston elected Mayor

Manning prefaced his nomination of Huston by saying that it was
Councilman Andrew Schafer's turn to be named mayor. Manning said
Schafer had been offered the post of mayor by his Democratic
colleagues, but declined because of commitments at work. "But he
has more than earned the mayor's seat," said Manning. Other
appointments made during the reorganization for the new year were:
Donna Brady, Deputy Clerk; George Hanley, township attorney; Cheryl
J. Oberdorf, bond counsel; Marshall Gates, prosecutor; Marc J.
Brenner, public defender; Nisivoccia & Company, auditors; Dr.
Arvind Grover, Duane G. Sossono and Immediate Medical Care Center
as township physicians; Linda Pawchak, municipal historian, and
Frank D. angelastro, municipal court judge.

Thomas McAndrew was sworn in for his second year as Fire
Department Chief, with Mark Roskam as Deputy Fire Chief.

Additional Appointments

The following appointments were made to various boards,
committees and commissions:

Marion Brooks, Jerry Cantrell, Sharon McConvery and Robert Mahon
were appointed to the Parks Committee.

Louis Robbins and Walter Nickens were appointed to the
Environmental Commission, with Kathleen Mygas and Greg Pukas as
alternates.

Janet Lorey was appointed to the Landmarks Committee, with
Marcia Rumsey and Jesse Tieman appointed as alternates and Clark
Rumsey as student member.

Gordon Raupp was appointed to the Board of Assessments for Local
Improvements, and John Ragan, Debbie Knothe and David Ironson were
appointed to the Economic Development Committee with Meg Sullivan
appointed as an alternate member.

Shari Baron was appointed to the Library Board of Trustees, with
township manager John Lovell selected as the mayor's
alternate.

Barbara Davis and Sattik Deb were appointed to the Open Space
Committee, with Eric Inglis and Catherine Creese appointed as
alternate members.

Joan Brembs, Dana Tamminga, Kay Custer, Ruth Crane and Peggy
DePaola were appointed to the Community Services
Committee.

The Teen Center Oversight Committee is comprised of Andrew
Schafer as the council member liaison, Barbara Thomas as the Board
of Education representative, Laurie Iskowitz as the Recreation
Committee representative, and Anthony Zanconato, Debbie Knothe and
Sattik Deb as the resident members.

Planners say terrorist attacks could have environmental
effects

A Mendham-based environmental organization will receive $200,000
as part of $5.43 million in statewide Dodge Foundation funding to
promote sound planning , particularly in the aftermath of the World
Trade Center attacks. The organization, the Association of New
Jersey Environmental Commissions (A NJEC), was tabbed to use the
$200,000 to provide matching grants to municipalities across the
state to develop environmentally sound master plans. The $5.43
million will be distributed to 62 organizations by the Geraldine R
. Dodge Foundation largely to help municipalities guide planning
according to the State Development and Redevelopment Plan adopted
last year. The grants support efforts to protect natural resources
and the rapid loss of open space "due to poorly planned growth" in
the Highlands, Pinelands and Delaware Bay shore areas, according to
a statement issued on Friday.

The terrorist attacks may prompt businesses to decentralize
offices, bringing about greater pressure for development in
environmentally sensitive open spaces, according to Christopher J.
Elliman, president of the board and chairman of the foundation's
Trustees Committee on Critical Issues.

Elliman said the potential demand for more land for new
development makes it even more urgent to guide development away
from wetlands, steep slopes and other environmentally sensitive
areas and toward areas that already have sewers, roads and other
developed infrastructure.

"We are losing at least 15,000 acres a year in New Jersey to
development and over the long term, this will be a harmful effect
on water, air and soil quality a cross the state," Elliman
said.

"The ripple effects of the Sept. 11 disaster continue to be felt
throughout the region. One of those effects may be a desire by
corporations to avoid centralizing their operations. And that has
rather immediate land use implications for the region."

'Smart Growth'

Sandy Batty, executive director of ANJEC, said maximum $25,000
matching grants will be awarded as part of the organization's
"smart growth" initiative. Batty said ANJEC hopes to award grants
to six to eight municipalities in each of three regions, including
the Highlands, Pinelands and Delaware Bay shore areas.

Batty said ANJEC is forming a committee representing the three
regions to screen grant applications. ANJEC has received smaller
Dodge grants in the past for land use planning but the latest is
about double the most recent award.

She said ANJEC will favor land use projects that reflect
environmental concerns and not just recreational needs. For
example, grants would be more likely to fund a master plan that
includes open space protection of steep slopes and wetlands in
addition to the creation of ball fields.

Master plan revisions can be costly and in excess of $25,000 and
ANJEC will accept in-kind matches of manpower or materials for the
grants.

Batty said the Dodge grants show an endorsement of the state
redevelopment plan and that the plan's goals won't be met without
support from the public and private sectors.

For its part, the state must reflect the redevelopment plan when
it awards permits for construction of roads, waste water treatment
plants and other amenities needed for development. Batty said
municipalities also must organize their local master plans to
protect the environment.

"Smart growth is anti-sprawl and the tenet of the state plan is
to develop in areas of existing infrastructure," Batty said.
"Municipalities have control over the land use in their towns. If
they're in concert with the state plan, it will work."

Batty said some municipalities have embraced the state
redevelopment plan but others have balked out of a fear of too much
state interference in local planning.

The grants are the latest effort by ANJEC to promote sound land
use planning. The organization was formed in 1969 when the
Legislature authorized creation of local environmental commissions
and committees. ANJEC offers training to members of environmental
groups, publishes publications and is a resource center for private
and public agencies.

ANJEC currently represents about 250 of the 350 environmental
commissions in New Jersey. Batty has worked for ANJEC since 1986
and began as director this month, replacing Sally Dudley, who
retired as the longterm executive director.

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Online Poll

In recent weeks, Long Hill Township and Watchung Borough passed ordinances allowing their police departments to be able to apply for surplus equipment from the Department of Defense. Long Hill recently procured a Humvee to use in times of flooding, which Watchung states as the reason they are getting into the program. However, in cities around the country, police forces have used the program to obtain military gear, such as weapons and armor.
For more background, go to the link below
http://www.newjerseyhills.com/echoes-sentinel/news/watchung-police-department-hopes-to-receive-equipment-from-department-of/article_12ad002a-92b3-5449-a2cc-4b2cf0ce4339.html